As the clock races toward Christmas day, are you still frantically racking your brain to figure out what to buy for that special person in your life? Once again, the Serotek team comes to the rescue with our annual holiday review special. As you listen to the podcast, be sure to follow the links below to learn more about the respective products discussed in this podcast–and Merry Christmas!

Lisa Salinger starts us off with a discussion of the FitBit One

She also mentions MyFitnessPal which has become more accessible of late.

Joe Steinkamp reviews the Keurig K75 Platinum Brewing System

The K 75 is a great gift for the person who wants a brewing system if, and this is a big IF!, they don’t mind memorizing menus and buttons. The unit sports a blue backlit screen with hard to see text. And it has a menu system for changing things like cup sizes and the like. Yet, for the package as a whole, it comes with lots of accessories and it has 72oz of coffee or tea at the ready. Its kind of big too, possibly due to the built in K-Cup tray underneath, so you can’t hide it behind the toaster. All and all, it’s a great gift to give someone [especially if you find it for under $149] but you may just want to stick with the Travel Keurig models if you want to avoid all the frills, menus and memorization.

He also recommends Lola Savannah Coffee – Cozy Winter’s Night (Whole Bean)

Next, Ricky Enger discusses four devices that will make your life easier in the kitchen.

Polder 6631-75 Stainless-Steel Sink Strainer with Extending Rubber-Grip Arms

Artisan (2 pk.) Non-Stick Silicon Baking Mat Set. 16 5/8″ x 11″

Edge of Glory Knife Sharpener

Alton Brown Salt Cellar

Buddy Brannan interviews the developer of The Bradley Braille Watch

Matt Campbell helps us be more productive with the Asus Transformer Book T100.

Richard Wells introduces us to Lee Oscar harmonicas.

Finally, Jamie Pauls reviews the Bose SoundLink Mini Bluetooth speaker.

It’s the Holidays once again and this time we do two shows in one so we could cover it all. Maurie joins Rodney and Joe in the first half of the episode, then!, Byron comes by to ask our listeners for help in accessorizing his life. Plus, coffee is mentioned. This show has everything including another great app to go get on iOS. Product Overview: VisioBook CCTV

Maurie gives her thoughts on the foldable desktop magnifier With pivoting HD camera for both close range and distance viewing. She used it for many of her work and home related tasks, but did she find it to be the video magnifier of her holiday dreams?

Byron’s Bags And more;

We talked a lot about things that would be great gifts for the unorganized person in your life. Here are just some of the products we discussed;

Grid-It Organizer

Orange Tactile Paint

Variety Texture, Color and Size – Round Stick-Ons 138 pieces

Low Vision Large Dice White with black dots

Pelican 1510LOC Carry On Protector Case with Laptop Sleeve and Accessories Case, 1510-006-190

Pelican 1506TSA Pelilock 1506 TSA Approved

Dell Venue 8 Pro Tablet

Outlets To Go Power Strip with USB – Black by Monster

Belkin 8 Outlet Pivot Surge Protector with 6ft Cord and Telephone Protection

And if you can live with the clutter, these gifts may please others you know instead

Kurig Coffee Maker

PG Tips Tea

Taylors of Harrogate, Yorkshire Tea, 80-Count Tea Bags

Lola Savannah Coffee – Cozy Winter’s Night (Whole Bean)

Thermos Stainless King 16-Ounce Leak-Proof Travel Mug

Tech Access Daily Tip

Thermos 16-Ounce Stainless Steel Travel Tumbler

Coffee Joulies

App Review: Papa Sangre 2

Know this first, you need headphones or earbuds to play this game. Oh, that and you are dead. There is no iphone, there is no outside world. There is just these thoughts in your mind you may just lose and this touch screen. Together, if you are lucky, you can escape with your mind intact as long as you can avoid … penguins. Confused? You won’t be after you hear about Papa Sangre 2.

How can you find out what our hosts are up to outside the podcast?

Follow Maurie Hill on Twitter

Check out Maurie’s writing on the AI Squared Zoomed In Blog

Follow Rodney Edgar on Twitter

Check out Rodney on the Tech Access Weekly Blog and Podcast

Follow Jeremy Curry on Twitter

Follow GW Micro on Twitter.

Follow Byron Lee on Twitter

Feel free to send your feedback on this show to resources@serotalk.com.

You can always find the latest on this show and others on the SeroTalk Podcast Network using iBlink Radio for your iOS device or your Android device. You can even leave us an iReport right from the iBlink app.

Thanks for listening!

Are you exhausted after running from one Christmas party to another? Have you shopped until you are truly about to drop? Why not grab a cup of your favorite hot beverage, sit in your favorite comfy chair and listen to our our annual Christmas concert featuring performances by Serotek staff and our wonderful SAMNet community?

After listening to this year’s performances, you’ll be so inspired that you just might want to join our community and participate next year. In the meantime, enjoy the show!

On this, our final news-related episode of the year, Jamie, Ricky and Joe settle in to discuss the top stories of the week. Then, Jamie visits with Brian Fishler of Laugh for Sight about Gotham Comedy Radio, a new podcast being launched in conjunction with the SeroTalk Podcast Network.

Listen to Legendary Comedian Robert Klein on the first episode of Gotham Comedy Radio

This is the unedited podcast. The edited version will be coming soon.

Will Kindle E-Books Leave Blind Students Behind?

Amazon, Why Do You Keep Burning Blind Readers?

Amazon Books for All Accessibility Protest

our latest SPN Mobile special: Scratching the Surface with Mike Calvo

An Accessibility Review of the Kindle 3

Kindle Fire: Down in Flames!

podcast 79: What’s Up Happy Rants

Brand new Tech Doctor podcast entitled: Accessible Books

Amazon Instant Video App

Draconis Entertainment Releases Their First Mac Audio Game for the Visually Impaired

FamilyConnect Holiday Guide to Toys, Games, and Gadgets for Children Who Are Blind or Visually Impaired

Braille Sonar for iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad on the iTunes App Store

The must have accessible apps for blind android users

Code Factory releases new mobile Accessibility

Braille typewriters get a digital-era update

THE IMPORTANCE OF BRAILLE LITERACY

Facebook now has a dedicated accessibility page

Facebook voting is gone, but privacy issues just get worse

Google CEO Larry Page talks Apple, Android monetization and an eventual Motorola Nexus device

In bringing Office to iOS, Microsoft is playing a dangerous game

Microsoft Surface vs. Google Nexus: The numbers don’t tell the whole story

Microsoft: Surface Tablet to Debut in Retail Stores Soon

Redbox Challenges Netflix With $6 a Month Streaming Service

The future of television has arrived: it’s called the iPad

Apple Could Acquire Navigation Partner TomTom To Fix Maps [Analyst]

CNET 100

Roundabout

Tape runs out for Sony’s portable cassette recorders

For this very special holiday podcast, each member of the Serotek team was asked to review an item that they felt would make a good holiday gift. As you listen to the voices of the Serotek team members, feel free to follow the links in these show notes so that you can further explore the items of particular interest to you.

If there is one thing blind people are passionate about, it’s audio. Brian Kevelighan starts off our show with a review and demonstration of the Jawbone Big Jam Box. Next, Matt Campbell reviews the Koss PortaPro headphones. Finally, Mike Calvo rounds out our first segment by reviewing three sets of headphones—the new Aftershokz Sportz 2, the Radius 2 earbuds, and the Bose in-ear Sports earbuds.

Next, we focus on taking our audio on the go. Buddy Brannan visits with Danny of the Braille Superstore about the brand new Tiny Tunes MP3 player, designed especially for the blind. Then, Richard Wells visits with Laz Mesa about the Rockboxed Sansa Talking MP3 Players.

To round out our discussion of all things audio, Lisa Salinger shows us how to make music with the QChord. Shane Jackson has produced an in-depth review of the QChord.

Getting a Feel for the QChord is a manual written specifically for the visually impaired by Jackie McBride.

Hear the QChord by going to a page with QChord songs and sound clips

If you would like to purchase a QChord, or for further information, you may email Jackie McBride.

Next, Joe Steinkamp tells us about the OXO 10 Piece Pop Up Container Set.

Patrick Purdue stops by just in the nick of time to tell Jamie about the Wenger Braille watch.

After that, Ricky Enger makes house cleaning fun by introducing us to the Litter Robot self-cleaning litter box.

Rounding out this year’s holiday festivities, Jamie Pauls helps us make a great espresso with the Nespresso Pixie espresso maker.

You can listen to our Coffee Charge special from last year where Mike Calvo goes into some detail about what makes a great cup of espresso.

Watch a YouTube video of the Nespresso Pixie in action.

Feel free to email resources@serotalk.com with holiday ideas of your own.

This week, Jamie Pauls, Ricky Enger, and Joe Steimkamp discuss the top news stories of the week including the following:

Apple

Introducing the Apple Vis Hall of Fame

Introducing the AppleVis iOS App Hall of Fame

Has Apple pulled an app you’ve purchased from the App Store? Here is how to insure that you always have access to it:

Next we turn to a discussion on iOS Skype, Netflix and Joe’s fave King’s Corner updates.

CNETNews: Study says: You now spend more time with your mobile device than with newspapers and magazines.

FAA approves iPads in the cockpit; American Airlines to start Friday

Read2Go, 1.0.2.0, is now approved by Apple and is available in app store.

Microsoft releases OneNote as the first Office app for the iPad

Follow Up Stories

Carrier IQ Gets Transparent About Its Mobile Monitoring

FBI using Carrier IQ info for “law enforcement purposes,” refuses to release records

Richard Stallman: Facebook does massive surveillance

Google

Facebook tops Google’s own offerings to become most popular Android app

Google’s response to Siri is codenamed Majel, could be released by end of year

Holiday Shopping

PC makers losing interest in tablets, hope Ultrabooks will improve margins

From AFB Senior Site: Holiday Guide for Family Members of People with Vision Loss

5 geek gifts I would like to find under the tree this year

Back by popular demand: The Accessible 12 Days of Christmas featuring Matt Campbell and the Robot Guide Dog Orchestra

Mailbag

From Tony Schwartz 

   Responding to a listener who posted a question regarding the removal of the accessible Google page, I to liked the uncluttered look of the accessible Google search page. When it disappeared, I did some looking about and found the page again at this unlikely URL:

 Not very practical to read on air, but perhaps you can post the address in the show notes.

Thanks,

Tony

One of the things that makes the holiday season so special for most everyone is time spent with family and friends. In that spirit, Serotek’s SamNet community once again came together for our annual Christmas concert. Whether it was a classic Christmas carol, a popular Christmas song heard on the radio, or a Christmas greeting, several members of the Serotek team and user community came together in the voice chat music room to share with each other and everyone listening on SamNet Radio. Whether you heard the concert when it actually happened, were a part of the performance, or did not get a chance to listen the first time, you can now enjoy the replay of this year’s event courtesy of our production team. We trust that you will enjoy what you hear!

I wanted to take a moment and share some ideas for Christmas gifts you might want to get for yourself, or for others on your list.

First, I’d like to tell you about the Twelve South PlugBug All-in-One Dual Charger for MacBook and iPad, iPhone, or iPod. The last thing I looked at from the Twelve South people was the fashionable, but not very functional Book-style case for the MacBook Air. This particular product has really hit a home run, and is part of my essential travel gear for the Mac. It replaces the two-prong plug on the Mac-Safe Adapter with a small device that gives you back that outlet, but adds the functionality of a USB port as well. This way, you can charge your Mac and any USB device from only one outlet. At $34.99, you can get it through Amazon and you can support Serotek at the same time. It’s available through Prime, so if you have that service, you can get it in two days.

Those of you who have been listening to me and following the podcast for any amount of time know that I am a self-proclaimed coffee snob. I’ve mentioned a number of espresso makers here, and some have bought them based on my recommendations. I have been using Nespresso products for about the past year, and if you are into Espresso only, which is important to note, the Nespresso Pixie Espresso Maker might be the machine for you.

It is Italian-made and uses 19 bars of pressure, and makes superb coffee. When I started with Nespresso, I was using their bigger unit. You put a small, mushroom-shaped capsule in the top of the machine, push a button, and it’s ready in a few minutes. The pixie is great because it’s small enough to put in a suitcase. I bought metal espresso cups which don’t break in transit, and set it up in my hotel room when I travel. So, there is some initial expense, but the using the capsules works out to about 65 cents a shot, which is cheaper and more convenient than finding and frequenting a local coffee shop.

This particular Nespresso model lists for $249, but you can get it refurbished on Amazon for $149. When you have the option of a return policy, I encourage buying refurbished products, especially if you buy lots of electronics. When someone receives and opens a product, then sends it back, the seller has to call it Refurbished or Like New. When they receive the product, they make sure everything is in good condition, and repackage it for sale. There’s not much point in buying some things new, because the moment you take them out of the box, they are worth the amount you would pay for the refurbished item.

You can buy 50 NESPRESSO Capsules Varieties COFFEE for $53.89. The Nespresso coffee is amazing, and comes in intensities all the way from two to ten. Awhile back, they had a specialty coffee with an intensity of twelve! They are wonderful coffees that will keep you up and going all night long.

Because it differs in some ways from the larger, countertop model, the Pixie is great for a blind person. The larger model doesn’t stay hot all the time because it would use far more electricity. So, when you want to use it, you have to press a button until a light comes on and your coffee starts coming out. With the Pixie, you turn on the power, and press the button once. When it’s ready, it starts pushing out your coffee. The Pixie comes with a small variety of flavors, but you’ll be able to sample a larger variety by purchasing the 50-count sampler, where you’ll get five different flavors and intensities.

You can purchase the Nespresso at standard brick and mortar stores, but you will pay higher prices. However, you can only order the capsules online. I like the Nespresso club because they deliver very fast. They are in Florida, so I usually have my order in one day, but people in most other locations receive it after two days. Overall, I am very pleased with the ease of use, as well as the excellent taste of espresso from this maker.

You are welcome to send email to resources@serotalk.com, leave a comment on the Blab Line, at (866) 997-blab or 2522, or send us an iReport on iBlink Radio.

This week, Jamie Pauls, Ricky Enger, and Joe Steinkamp discuss the top news stories of the week. Then, Jamie Pauls and Mike Calvo discuss three Christmas gift ideas for the holiday season. Items reviewed by Mike include:

Twelve South PlugBug All-in-One Dual Charger for MacBook and iPad, iPhone, or iPod

Price: $34.99

Nespresso Pixie Espresso Maker

List Price: $249.00

Price: $149.40

50 NESPRESSO Capsules Varieties COFFEE NEW

Price: $53.89

The news stories covered in this week’s podcast include the following:

Holidays and Shopping

Having a Secret Santa gift exchange at work? These gifts, all under $20, are useful, memorable, and just plain cool

Why you should avoid cheap tablets

Amazon Kindle Fire owners are reporting a Wi-Fi bug

Hackers hit supermarket self-checkout lanes, steal money from shoppers

More people were affected by a Lucky Supermarkets credit card scam than initially thought

U.S. smartphone owners gravitate towards mobile shopping (survey)

Apple

Apple’s secret code names for iOS revealed

Do you miss Snow Leopard? Lion Secrets can help take you back

The iPad is not a PC, and neither are Windows 8 tablets

System Access: The Alternative Commitment

Apple interested in improving noise cancellation via voice recognition: Apple is investigating the use of user-s…

Downcast v2.5 is now available with iCloud sync support, revamped video player, many bug fixes and much more.

Behringer Announces 700 Pound, 10,000 Watt, $30,000 iPhone Dock..

Browsing

Facebook Accessibility feedback form

Facebook to launch a Subscribe button for websites

Gowalla confirms: Facebook acquires location-based social network

How Google can deal a death blow to Firefox

Avoiding Common Website Accessibility Mistakes

Symantec: Spam is at its lowest level in almost three years

Mailbag

Once again we present emails, BLAB line calls, and iReports from our listeners.

Round About

Vet fights for mobility iBOT has given him

Voice controls let blind gamer ‘hang’ with friends online

Can sitting all day make your butt bigger?

Yes, you heard right.  we have 13 days of Christmas, and the 13th day is the luckiest day of all. Why? Because beginning at midnight Eastern Standard Time on December 13, you can throw away your SMA. For just $299, get System Access Mobile, and you’ll never have to pay for an upgrade to your screen reader again!

Why choose System Access? It would take us too long to list all the ways in which System Access Mobile is a must-have, but here are 13 reasons.

• Affordability

System Access provides intuitive and powerful access to your Windows applications without breaking the bank, and today it’s more affordable than ever.

• Portability

With System Access Mobile, you get a license for two computers which you can manage at any time, plus a license to install System Access on a U3 thumb drive. This drive can be plugged in to provide instant access to any computer. You can also log in to http://www.satogo.com/ for quick and easy access from anywhere.

• Ease of use

Have you ever wished for a screen reader that was powerful enough to handle your needs, but didn’t require a lifetime to learn? System Access Mobile is just what you’ve been looking for.

• Magnification

System Access provides speech, along with built-in magnification up to 6X.

• Remote Access

Pair your System Access license with a subscription to SAMNet, and you’ll be able to remotely access your licensed computers from anywhere.

• User-managed licensing

Whenever you bring that new computer home, wouldn’t it be nice if you could install your screen reader on it at any time without involving someone else to reset your license key? With System Access, you can.

• Support for HID-compliant Braille displays.

Just as you can use System Access from any computer without installation, you should just as easily be able to plug in your Braille display and do the same. That’s why System Access supports HID-compliant Braille displays. Click here for a list of supported displays.

• Installation without requiring administrative access.

Sometimes you need access to a computer, and you don’t have time to cut through miles of red tape to make it happen. With System Access, you don’t need administrative privileges to use it. That means that if you have permission to use a particular computer, you don’t have to play “mother may I” to grant your screen reader permission too.

• No modification to video display drivers.

With System Access, you can use any computer without worrying whether you’ve altered its visual appeal, as no changes are made to the video driver.

• Portable customized settings.

No matter where you use System Access, your customized settings are automatically available to you. No need to set speech and punctuation preferences on every computer you use. Each time you run System Access, the screen reader will be configured just the way you like it.

• Community Supported Accessible Web (CSAW)

Don’t you hate those web sites with buttons and links that are poorly labeled, or not labeled at all? Wouldn’t it be great if you could fix those sites not only for yourself, but for an entire community? With CSAW, you can do just that. Provide user-friendly labels for sites that don’t have them, and submit your work so that other members of the community can benefit as well.

• * Automatic updates

When keeping up with version numbers and going to a web site to download the latest software loses its appeal, System Access has you covered. Whenever a software update is released, System Access will automatically update with no user intervention required.

• Free upgrades for life.

Does all of this sound too good to be true? It’s not. And best of all, the software is continually improving but you don’t have to pay a dime to access the updates.

For more information about System Access, or to take us up on this one day offer, call us at (866) 202-0520. Or visit us on the web at www.serotek.com

5 Podcast Feeds

There are currently 5 podcasts on the Serotek Podcast Network. Here is a brief description of each show, along with links to subscribe and keep up with each one.

SeroTalk

Winner of the Blind Bargains 2010 Access Award for Best Podcast, the long running SeroTalk podcast is seen as one of the premier shows of its kind within the Blindness Community. BBC’s Ouch Blog listed SeroTalk amongst the top five access related podcasts that they recommend to their readers. SeroTalk’s unique mixture of today’s technology news ,interviews and product reviews has struck a cord with their listeners and it makes the show a “must listen” for those who want to stay up to date on current events.

Visit the SeroTalk web site

Subscribe to The SeroTalk podcast feed

Subscribe to SeroTalk via iTunes

Follow SeroTalk on Twitter

SeroSpectives

SeroSpectives is a biweekly podcast hosted on Serotek’s Accessible Event meeting platform. This show encourages interaction from a live audience. Content relevant to the topics being discussed is displayed along with the audio presentation during the live event. Audience members can ask questions of SeroSpectives guests, and can also chat with each other about the topics discussed on the show. In each podcast, the SeroSpectives team focuses on a single topic, ranging from technology to cooking to fashion.

Visit the SeroSpectives web site

Subscribe to SeroSpectives podcast feed

Subscribe to SeroSpectives via iTunes

Follow SeroSpectives on Twitter

That Android Show

Google’s Android is taking the world of mobile devices by storm. The show   covers the changing face of Android along with providing reviews, tips and interviews of those developers who make the apps that run on Google’s mobile platform. The show airs monthly.

Visit That Android Show web site

Subscribe to That Android Show podcast feed

Subscribe to That Android Show via iTunes

Follow That Android Show on Twitter

Triple-click Home

Triple Click Home is the podcast for those who can’t get enough talk about their iDevices. Each month the show discusses the news, apps and events that impact the Apple user. This show runs monthly.

Visit the Triple-Click Home web site

Subscribe to Triple-Click Home podcast feed

Subscribe to Triple-Click Home via iTunes

Follow Triple-click Home on Twitter

End of Line

“End Of Line” is a light hearted show that celebrates the obsessive nature in all of us. Everyone has a passion for something. Food, books, music or underwater basket weaving. EOL aims to spotlight cultural touchstones and hopefully capture the trends of today while doing so. One full episode airs monthly, and occasional extras highlighting a particular topic are posted.

Visit End of Line web site

Subscribe to End of Line podcast feed

Subscribe to End of Line via iTunes

Follow End of Line on Twitter